Beaver Ecology and Biology with FWP’s Torrey Ritter

Date: October 11
Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Meet at Milltown State Park, Overlook, off of Deer Creek Rd. Directions here.

Cost: $30 MNHC members / $35 non-members. Scholarships are available! Please contact cmorris [at] montananaturalist.org for more information.
You can add an MNHC membership at checkout.

Beavers as a keystone species support an entire biological community. They also directly improve ground water storage, water temperature, and flood control. If we want clear, cold, abundant water in the west, we need beavers! Find out more about these fascinating creatures during a Field Day with Torrey Ritter of Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Torrey will talk about beavers as a species, their adaptations and unique behaviors, discuss family units and the making of a colony, and then zoom out to their larger impact on the landscape. We will get a chance to see a beaver lodge, dams, and various other sign of beavers, and we will get to see firsthand how their engineering capabilities can transform the landscape.

Instructor: Torrey Ritter is a nongame wildlife biologist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, based out of Missoula. He went to Montana State University for undergrad, then spent the next 6 years working for various state and federal agencies on a variety of wildlife species including grizzly bears, elk, small mammals, peregrine falcons, sage grouse, and best of all, beavers. Torrey returned to MSU in 2015 for graduate school and spent 3 years studying beaver dispersal and habitat selection in the Upper Madison and Gallatin river drainages in southwest Montana. Torrey has become fascinated by beavers and their ability to modify stream and riparian habitats and is very excited that he gets to work on a variety of beaver-related projects in his current position.

What to Bring:

• waders or muck boots
• snacks, water
• clothes for changing Montana weather conditions
• camera (optional)
• journal and writing implement (optional)

FAQ

What’s the refund policy?

The course fee is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. In light of changes to programming due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Montana Natural History Center will make exceptions to its normal refund policy. These exceptions are as follows:

• Any programs cancelled by the Montana Natural History Center are eligible for a full refund.
• In the event a program fee can be rolled over to a following cycle or year, that offer will be made available to the paying program participant, and a spot will be reserved for the participant.
• If a program is cancelled by a participant due to reasonable health and safety concerns from exposure risk to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Montana Natural History Center will issue a full refund.
• If any participant experiences major illness, injury, or loss of a family member prior to the start of a registered program the participant is eligible for a full refund.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.